Appreciating New Tea with an Inkstone - Chapter 45 Part 1

Qingwu was originally a small demon living at the foot of Dongzhou Mountain. She was a hybrid of a bluebird and a robin, and although her bloodline was not pure, she benefited from her bluebird heritage, allowing her to cultivate much faster than ordinary bird demons.

She lost her parents at a young age, and after gaining the ability to take human form, she wanted to explore the human world. However, by a twist of fate, she was wounded by a cultivator. Her cultivation was still lacking, and while fleeing, she was nearly captured. In the end, she fell to the ground and was picked up by a little girl.

That little girl was also an orphan, living alone in poverty. Yet, instead of selling Qingwu for food or money, she took care of her with great care. Though she was naive and unaware of the truth, she forced the weakened Qingwu—who had never eaten insects before—to eat small green worms for a few days. But despite that, she was genuinely kind to her.

Later, when she realized Qingwu refused to eat insects, she started gathering fruit for her every day. To the lonely Qingwu, she became like family. Qingwu remained in her bird form and lived with her for half a year, completely forgetting about returning home.

If it weren’t for the fact that she saw Qu Lin’er being bullied by her uncles and slandered by a few gossipy, mean-spirited village women, Qingwu would never have revealed her identity by secretly helping her. It was only then that she considered interacting with Qu Lin’er in human form.

When Qu Lin’er discovered that Qingwu was a demon, she was initially startled, staring wide-eyed in shock. But she quickly calmed down, showing neither fear nor disgust. After that, Qingwu stayed by her side under the guise of a distant cousin, and the two of them lived a quiet yet happy life together.

In recent years, demon hunters had become increasingly active. Worried that Qingwu might be captured, Qu Lin’er decided they should leave their village near the city. Life was hard for a young woman alone in this world, but with Qingwu by her side, her hardships were greatly reduced.

Qingwu never asked for much—she knew human lives were short. As long as Qu Lin’er needed her, she wouldn’t return to Dongzhou’s Mount Gan for cultivation. She would stay by her side until her hundred years were up, and perhaps, if she was lucky, she would meet her again in her next life.

But their peaceful days didn’t last. A year ago, Qu Lin’er suddenly fell ill, and her condition worsened by the day. Qingwu took her to countless physicians, but none could cure her. In just six months, the once lively and beautiful girl had withered like a flower battered by a storm.

Though Qingwu was a demon, her cultivation was insufficient. While she had some abilities, like summoning wind and rain, when it came to matters of life and death, there was little she could do. All she could manage was to prolong Qu Lin’er’s life with medicine and sustain her with her own demon energy.

But this was only a temporary solution. Desperate, Qingwu tried everything—even risking her life to seek medicine in Dongzhou. However, her identity was exposed, and she nearly died there.

Then, she encountered an old acquaintance—a fellow demon—who possessed a Nine-Turn Pill, said to be capable of saving Qu Lin’er. But Qingwu was no match for him, and she had no other means of obtaining the pill.

A few days ago, that demon approached her with an offer: if she completed a few tasks for him, he would give her the Nine-Turn Pill to save Qu Lin’er. One of those tasks was to abduct a child born on an inauspicious date—Yin year, Yin month, Yin day, Yin hour—from Ying City.

After recounting everything, Qingwu looked defeated. “I know this makes me complicit in evil, but I can’t just stand by and watch her leave me. She’s only eighteen—so young, her life has just begun. I beg you, she’s sick, and that person is keeping her condition stable for now, but I have to hurry back. If she wakes up and I’m not there, she’ll be worried. Let me go see her. You can do whatever you want with me afterward.”

She seemed utterly desperate. Looking at the unconscious child, she couldn’t tell if she felt sorrow or relief. If she failed to save Qu Lin’er, she at least wanted to bid her a proper farewell—to let her pass peacefully, rather than die alone with no one to mourn her.

During her illness, Qu Lin’er often said she wasn’t afraid of death—that she had no attachments in this world, and only Qingwu would grieve for her. She had come to terms with life and death, but Qingwu, a demon, could not. She stubbornly clung to hope, refusing to let go.

“You can go. But tell me—aside from abducting the child, what else did he ask you to do?”

Lately, demon hunters had become increasingly aggressive, forcing many demons to lay low. For someone to task Qingwu—a demon of relatively weak cultivation—with kidnapping a child was already unusual. Offering a Nine-Turn Pill in exchange made it even more suspicious.

Qingwu hesitated for a moment before answering, “He wants me to go to the Demon-Slaying Array in the Northern Wasteland to retrieve something for him.”

Upon hearing this, Mujin blinked in surprise. “The Demon-Slaying Array? To retrieve something? He’s sending you to die.”

Qingwu lowered her head, remaining silent. But Gu Xiyan frowned slightly. “Not necessarily.”

“My lady, that array is an ancient formation left behind by an immortal. It’s the only thing of its kind in the human world. With her level of cultivation, she’d be torn to pieces the moment she steps inside. Even I wouldn’t dare enter,” Mujin said, shivering at the thought.

Gu Xiyan gently patted her head and asked softly, “How do you know he has a Nine-Turn Pill? And how do you know it can save Qu Lin’er?”

“He told me.”

“So he sought you out first. That means he already knew something beforehand—something that led him to choose you,” Gu Xiyan mused. After a moment’s thought, she asked, “You’re from the bird tribe?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have bluebird blood?”

Qingwu was stunned. “How do you know?”

She had never told them this. Moreover, though she carried bluebird blood, she resembled a robin far more, and very few demons could even tell. How did Gu Xiyan know?

“This explains everything,” Gu Xiyan murmured.

“My lady, please don’t speak in riddles. I don’t understand,” Mujin scratched her head and said.

“The ancient Demon-Slaying Array was created by the Divine Lord, whose original form was a bluebird. As the ancestor of the bluebird clan, the formation is somewhat lenient toward their bloodline. Even if one is a demon, as long as they possess bluebird blood and have enough understanding of the formation, they may be able to avoid its effects and achieve their goal.”

Hearing this, both Mujin and Qingwu were momentarily stunned. Mujin was even more surprised. “My lady, how do you know all this?”

Gu Xiyan smiled. “I’ve just read a few more books than most. But let’s not dwell on that. Miss Qingwu, take me to see Miss Qu.”

“Mujin, the child’s mother is frantic with worry. Return the child to her first.”

Mujin hesitated. “I can’t leave you alone.”

“Do as I say. I’ll wait for you here.”

Hearing this, Mujin finally obeyed. She held the child and instantly disappeared.

When she suddenly appeared before the desperate mother, the woman nearly fainted from shock. But the moment she realized that the bundle in her arms was her own child, all her fear transformed into overwhelming joy. Then, as the realization of how close she had come to losing him sank in, she broke down into heart-wrenching sobs.

“Thank you, immortal! Thank you, immortal!” Mujin had appeared and vanished like a divine being, so the mother assumed she must be one. Mujin, delighted by the woman’s gratitude, couldn’t help but smile before hurrying back to find Gu Xiyan and the others.

By this point, Qingwu could sense Gu Xiyan’s kindness, but she didn’t know how to feel about it. Among all the cultivators she had encountered, this person was unlike any other.

Most cultivators attacked demons without hesitation, even if those demons meant no harm. And she—she had already harmed humans. Yet, Gu Xiyan had listened to her calmly and even seemed to have the intention of helping.

With the child safely returned, Gu Xiyan and Mujin followed Qingwu to a small house on the outskirts of Ying City. The house was built against the mountain, with a neatly arranged wooden fence at the entrance.

The three of them landed at the door. Qingwu, visibly anxious, pushed it open and rushed inside.

Qu Lin’er lay on the bed, her complexion deathly pale. Her once delicate and lively face had withered away, her prominent cheekbones revealing just how frail she had become. She looked as if she were clinging to life by a mere thread.

At the sight of her, Qingwu felt a sharp pain in her chest. She hurried over and carefully helped Qu Lin’er up, sending spiritual energy into her body.

Gu Xiyan, listening closely to her breathing, could tell that she was barely holding on. It was as if at any moment, her final breath would slip away.

Qingwu’s eyes reddened. She softly called Qu Lin’er’s name over and over again. After a long moment, the girl in her arms gasped weakly, her eyelashes fluttering as she slowly awakened.

Qingwu reached out and touched her forehead. It was cold and clammy, sending a chill through her heart. But she still maintained a gentle expression, her voice warm as she asked, “Lin’er, you’re awake. Do you feel any pain?”

Qu Lin’er struggled to open her eyes. She stared at Qingwu for a moment before finally relaxing, her body sinking into her embrace. “You’re here,” she murmured.

She had just dreamt that Qingwu had left her. No matter how much she called out, Qingwu ignored her and disappeared into a strange, eerie mist of blood.

“I’m here. I’m right here.” Qingwu’s voice trembled.

Qu Lin’er’s body shivered involuntarily, but she was so weak that even her trembling was faint. Her gaze was fixed on Qingwu. Though her energy was drained, her eyes still held a light—Qingwu was the last bit of life left in her world.

“Wu-jiejie… don’t be sad. And… don’t waste so much of your energy on me. Being able to live for another year… I’m already content. I have no ties to this world; I came alone, and I will leave alone… But I’m only afraid of one thing—seeing you grieve.”

(T/N: -jiejie = an affix for older sister or an older female friend.)

“Lin’er…” Qingwu couldn’t bear to hear her talk like this. Her voice was hoarse as she called her name, her eyes red with sorrow.

Qu Lin’er weakly raised her frail hand and brushed it against Qingwu’s face before it fell. Qingwu caught it, pressing it against her cheek. Qu Lin’er’s fingertips trembled slightly, stroking the corner of Qingwu’s reddened eyes.

“Don’t be sad. I’ve been truly happy… because I had you by my side. You have a long life ahead of you—don’t spend it alone. Find a friend, a companion, someone who can travel this world with you… You shouldn’t be alone…” Her eyes welled up with tears. Her voice choked as she continued, “If you’re alone, I… I will feel… so sad.”

Qingwu, overcome with pain and urgency, called out to her again and again. “Lin’er! Lin’er!”

Gu Xiyan quickly stepped forward. She placed her fingers on Qu Lin’er’s wrist, checking her pulse, then raised her left hand. A gentle stream of white spiritual energy flowed from her palm into Qu Lin’er’s throat and began circulating downward.

Qu Lin’er coughed so hard that she nearly couldn’t breathe, but she soon felt a gentle force soothing the itch and pain in her chest and throat, gradually easing her breathing. Only then did she realize the presence of Gu Xiyan and Mujin.

“Wu-jiejie, who are they?” She knew this person was helping her. She had always thought Qingwu was incredibly beautiful, but the woman in front of her, wrapped in white silk, had an ethereal, otherworldly beauty.

“They are… my friends.” Qingwu hesitated slightly before answering, then glanced at Mujin with a hint of apology in her eyes.

Gu Xiyan did not refute her words. Instead, she channeled another surge of spiritual energy through the hand that was holding Qu Lin’er’s pulse. Qu Lin’er let out a muffled groan, breaking into a cold sweat instantly. Gu Xiyan immediately withdrew her hand and turned to the visibly anxious Qingwu. “She is not ill. She was harmed by someone.”

Qingwu froze, her eyes suddenly tightening with intensity. She forcibly suppressed the violent surge of emotions. “What did you say?”

“You can’t speak to my lady like that!” Mujin, clearly annoyed, swiftly smacked Qingwu on the head, dissipating much of her anger in an instant.

“Please, don’t be angry. Shedidn’t mean it. Don’t hit her, don’t hit her,” Qu Lin’er said hastily, worried that Mujin was truly upset.

“Mujin, don’t be rude.”

Mujin pursed her lips and immediately quieted down. Meanwhile, Qingwu quickly apologized, her face filled with urgency. “Please, tell me how she was harmed. Can she still be saved?”

“Miss Qingwu, please remain calm. When I examined Miss Qu just now, I detected a strange energy within her body—similar to the demonic energy within you. She has been in contact with you for so long that she has inevitably absorbed some traces of demonic aura, which is likely why you didn’t notice anything unusual.” After speaking, Gu Xiyan once again channeled her spiritual energy into Qu Lin’er. “How do you feel now?”

Qu Lin’er paused for a moment, then said in surprise, “It… it seems a bit better.” But the moment Gu Xiyan withdrew her hand, her face turned deathly pale once more.

“She is human. Someone has forcefully injected an overpowering demonic force into her body. It may not have shown at first, but humans and demons are fundamentally different. If this continues, her essence and vitality will be gradually consumed, making her weaker and weaker. Otherwise, with ordinary human illnesses, you would have been able to heal her from the start. She shouldn’t have deteriorated to this extent. I fear that the demonic energy you gave her was like drinking poison to quench thirst—it worked at first, but ultimately benefited the one who inflicted it upon her. Your cultivation is not yet high enough to see through it,” Gu Xiyan explained.

As she spoke, she took out a white porcelain bottle and handed it to Qingwu.

“Give this to her first. It will ease her suffering. As for saving her… we need to find the one who injected demonic energy into her—the same person who has been using you to do his bidding.”

Gu Xiyan stood up and walked out the door. Her expression had grown cold, completely different from the gentle demeanor she had shown before.

Mujin had followed her for many years and immediately noticed something was off. She cautiously followed behind. “What’s wrong, my lady? You seem unhappy all of a sudden.”

Gu Xiyan shook her head. “I just ran into an old acquaintance. How could I not be happy?” Yet, her tone carried a chilling edge, far from any true joy.